Dodge Cuyann
Dodge Cuyann, born as CC-1211, nicknamed "Dodge" during the Clone Wars, and known as Galaar Cuyann '''among the Mandalorians, was a courageous defender of the Galactic Republic, a renowned leader of the Rebel Alliance, an honorable warrior of Mandalore, and a stalwart Jedi of the New Jedi Order. '''Summary When the Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas commissioned the Kaminoan cloners to create an army for the Galactic Republic, a group of scientists requested permission from Prime Minister Lama Su to clone a Force-sensitive prototype to serve in the army. When the request was accepted, the Kaminoans hired a bounty hunter to kidnap a Jedi Knight in order to use his DNA for the cloning process; later both the bounty hunter and Jedi were killed off. 1211 was among the first batch of clone troopers cloned from the DNA of the notorious bounty hunter Jango Fett. Fett's DNA was mixed with the Jedi's, making 1211 the first Force-sensitive prototype bred to serve in the Grand Army of the Republic. 1211 was exclusively chosen to be trained as an ARC trooper commander by the Mandalorian trainers. After undergoing intense training to properly groom him for about a decade, 1211 began overseeing the training of other cadet squadrons, particularly a unit led by sergeant 2176. Prior to the Battle of Geonosis, 1211 requested that this group be transferred to his unit, the 56th Battalion. After Geonosis, 1211 returned to Kamino to participate in a program known as the ARC Program, where he and other clone officers were taught more beyond what the trainers on Kamino had presented them, as well as what made them unique from one another. At the program, 1211 gained the nickname "Dodge." After he returned from the ARC Program as an early graduate, the 56th Battalion was assigned to Jedi General Viera Cacete, a young and eager Asheran Jedi Knight. The 56th proceeded to fight in many a battle on the front lines, most notably on Balmorra, Rishi, Umbara, and Ilum. As the war progressed, Dodge slowly became more free-thinking, as did his clone brethren, and as such he began to question the true purpose of the war. During a mission to the world Janaa, Dodge was caught in a Separatist ambush that rendered him missing in action. After failing to contact the Republic, he met a young Mandalorian woman named Cryshta Cuyann, who took him to Mandalore in return for his aid; Dodge eventually embraced the Mandalorian way and became a member of Clan Cuyann. However, duty called and he took a Mandalorian fighter, the Senaar, to the front lines. Later, following the death of ARC trooper 5555, Dodge traveled to Kamino to investigate what Fives spoke of, and discovered inhibitor chips planted in the brains of every clone. He and the rest of Wraith Squad removed their chips, opening their eyes to the bigger picture that this war had to bring. Come the Invasion of Lirath, which the Republic had been building up to for months at this point, Dodge was called by Darth Sidious, who ordered the execution of Order 66. However before the 56th could terminate Viera, Wraith Squad escaped with her aboard the Senaar and traveled to Yavin 4 to meet up with General Kahar Zamet. There, they joined the rebel group, the Survivors. Because Zamet knew of Dodge's leadership skills during the Clone Wars, Dodge was placed as an officer in the group, and proceeded to begin construction of a base on Ryloth, Isolation Outpost. Over several years, the Survivors rebelled against the newly-risen Galactic Empire, working from Isolation Outpost and an abandoned Republic military outpost, both on Ryloth. Early on in their rebellion, Dodge led a mission to Corellia to gain the favor of an anti-Imperial cell there, under the command of the former Republic admiral, Ranoul Spalor. In 17 BBY, Dodge led a small strike team to investigate an Imperial facility on the world Kyjal; their attack ended in Dodge's capture and eventual transfer to an Imperial-occupied Mandalore, where he was carbon frozen for the next three years. Cryshta Cuyann discovered and freed him in 14 BBY and took him to recover with Clan Cuyann, who had been attempting to organize a counteroffensive since the Siege of Mandalore. Dodge convinced them to ally themselves with the Survivors, and in return they would work towards freeing Mandalore. Dodge returned to Ryloth with Cryshta, who acted as Clan Cuyann's representative in the Survivors, and reassumed his position as General. Once Kahar's group was forced from Ryloth, Dodge traveled to Krenton to help in getting them situated at an abandoned cantina. While there, he hired Andros Jihara and Clik to work for him. Nine years later, in 5 BBY, the Empire discovered Isolation Outpost and the Survivors were forced to flee to the jungle world Rishi, where Dodge's group attempted to establish a base before the Empire found them yet again, crippling their forces. However the Survivors built back up and began construction of a massive base inside a nearby mountain, called Striker Mountain. Dodge and Cryshta later traveled to Makeb to meet with a contact there in order to mine isotope-5, greatly aiding the Survivors' building process. By the time Striker Mountain was nearing completion, Dodge traveled with Viera to her homeworld, Ashera, to discover that it was occupied by the Empire. While there, they discovered Dodge's affinity to the Force - something that had always been unbeknownst to them. They left Ashera and traveled to Kamino, informing Kahar along the way. There, they discovered that Dodge had in fact been deliberately designed as Force-sensitive prototype. Viera proceeded to train Dodge in the Force and lightsaber combat. Later, in 3 BBY, Dodge and Cryshta traveled to Coruscant to meet with a contact, but were instead confronted by the former clone commander, Shoc, who had become an intelligence agent in the Empire. Dodge managed to subdue him and take him to Rishi, where his inhibitor chip was removed. Shoc, realizing what had truly happened at the end of the Clone Wars and mortified by what he had done, pledged himself to the Survivors in time for the Battle of Rishi, which began shortly after. During the battle, the Survivors - now whole as Kahar's group had recently arrived from Krenton - successfully repelled the Imperial attack force, allowing for them to retreat aboard the remaining ships in their fleet. However, Shoc sacrificed his life at the end of the battle when he rammed the Survivors' super star destroyer into the Imperial fleet, leaving an opening for the rebels to escape to Atollon. Later, they were absorbed into the Rebel Alliance when it was formed above Dantooine. At some point, Kahar told Dodge about an ancient ritual to achieve immortality, which he performed on the world Ilum; Dodge later transferred this power to Cryshta, granting her a prolonged life. Dodge led a strike team to Mygeeto in 4 ABY at the same time as the Battle of Endor, which resulted in the death of Emperor Palpatine, and the crippling of the Galactic Empire. When the New Republic was formed from the Rebel Alliance, Dodge initially joined the military and began training cadets. However, after a few years resigned and traveled to Ashera to train in the Force with Viera. At some point he built his first lightsaber after collecting a kyber crystal from Ilum. Eventually Dodge considered joining Luke Skywalker's Jedi, but ultimately decided to avoid the Jedi after seeing a vision of the dark future; instead he returned to Cryshta and Clan Cuyann and lived on Mandalore. In 17 ABY, Dodge and Cryshta were married, and the following year she gave birth to their first child, Mesh'la. Biography Early life (32 BBY - 22 BBY) In 32 BBY, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas commissioned the Kaminoan scientists on Kamino to create a clone army for the Galactic Republic. Bred for battle, these clones would serve in the Grand Army of the Republic in an upcoming galactic conflict foreseen by Master Sifo-Dyas. Before the cloning process could begin, a group of Kaminoan scientists considered the idea of a Force-sensitive clone to serve in the Grand Army; permission was granted by Prime Minister Lama Su, who ordered that the prototype be kept a secret. The Kaminoans hired a bounty hunter to kidnap a Jedi Knight, combining his DNA with that of Jango Fett's, the genetic template for the clone army. Afterwards, the Jedi and bounty hunter sent were terminated, to ensure there were no witnesses. 1211 was born on Kamino in 32 BBY among the first batches of clones commissioned by Sifo-Dyas. Despite being unique in that he was a Force-sensitive prototype, which unbeknownst to all but the Kaminoan cloners, 1211 was bred from birth to serve as a clone commander in the Republic's military. Over the next ten years, 1211 underwent flash training alongside his fellow clone officers, and learned various military strategies to utilize during the upcoming war. All while being closely observed by the scientists, 1211 trained under the Cuy'val Dar, from whom he learned more than basic military strategies, and quite a bit of Mando'a through exposure to them. By the time 1211 completed his training, it would not be much longer before the clone army was shipped off to serve in the Republic. Over the final months before war, 1211 oversaw the training of clone cadet squads, one of which in particular caught his eye. They were led by sergeant 2176, and usually got through their simulations without flaw and through impressive means. When 1211 was given command of the 56th Battalion shortly before they were shipped off, he requested that 2176's unit be transferred to the 56th. The Clone Wars (22 BBY - 19 BBY) The War Ignites In 22 BBY, the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived on Kamino and discovered the clone army, which was now ready to march out to war. Not long after, the Grand Army of the Republic was deployed to the desert planet Geonosis. After the Jedi strike team was rescued from the Pentranaki arena, the rest of the clone forces engaged in battle with the massive droid army in the Geonosian wastes. 1211 and the 56th Battalion served under Jedi General Saesee Tiin during the battle. Hours of combat ensued, and at one point the 56th was ambushed by a swarm of Geonosian warriors, leaving 1211 with a scar over his left temple. As the battle continued, 1211 increasingly admired the Jedi's combat prowess; at first he was unsure as to what to expect as he had never truly seen a Jedi in combat before. The 56th proudly stood behind Tiin until the battle was won for the Republic and they were recalled to their new flagship, a Venator-class star destroyer called the Valiance. The 56th was deployed to Coruscant whilst 1211 returned to Kamino to take part in the ARC Training Program. The ARC Program On Kamino, 1211 and numerous other surviving clone officers participated in the ARC program. The program was organized by Captain Fordo, whom had underwent intense training from birth, forging him into the elite ARC trooper he was now. During the program, Fordo and other ARC troopers presented the clone officers with more intense training routines to increase their combat versatility, and taught them about what made them unique from one another. As the program progressed, 1211 displayed incredible agility in evading enemy blaster fire, and as a result gained the nickname "Dodge" from the trainers. After a week, 1211, now commonly called Dodge, graduated early for his exceptional combat skills. Once he returned to the 56th on Coruscant, he took time in between assignments to handpick the battalion's finest soldiers and train them with the knowledge he had gained on Kamino. These men became the elite backbone of the 56th Battalion, known as Wraith Squad. A New General Dodge stood attentively with his hands behind his back, Wraith Squad lined up behind him in an orderly formation. Ahead of them, a Nu-class shuttle was slowly entering the hangar bay of the Valiance, its wings folding up as the landing gear extended from out of the bottom of the ship. After a few moments, the ship touched down on the ground and the boarding ramp began to lower, steam released on either side of it as it too made for the ground. As the ramp met the ground, a feminine figure began walking down it, hands behind her back. As she neared the bottom of the ramp, her silhouette faded and Dodge was able to make out her features more. He was taken aback by her appearance - Dodge knew that their new Jedi General would be of this Asheran species, which he had never heard of until just recently. But he expected General Cacete to appear more experienced than she did - she seemed to be only a girl in her early twenties. Her chocolatey brown hair flowed down to her back, and her silvery eyes almost seemed to glow dimly. On her young face she wore a focused, and seemingly somewhat nervous expression. Most of her appearance was similar to that of a normal human, except for the fact that her ears were much longer and pointed. Asherans were like majestic angels straight out of a dream. General Cacete wore a brown Jedi vest above a golden chestplate. She wore white clone trooper boots and gauntlets, seemingly freshly-issued as they were clean and unscathed. At her side, clipped to her belt, Cacete wore an intricately-designed lightsaber hilt. As she approached, Dodge saluted to the general. The rest of Wraith Squad followed suit. General Cacete suddenly stopped where she stood, seemingly unsure as to what to do; after a moment she nodded her head. "My name is Viera Cacete. It's an honor to be here, commander." "It's an honor to be able to serve under you, General," Dodge returned the nod. "Welcome to the 56th." Viera examined each of the members of Wraith Squad before returning her attention to Dodge. "You'll have to forgive my ... informalities. I'm not exactly familiar with military standards or anything like that." He shook his head, "It shouldn't be a problem, General. So long as you can get the message delivered, we'll stand behind you." She gave him a warm smile and nodded, "Thank you, commander. I appreciate it." Viera gestured to Wraith Squad, "I take it this is the Wraith Squad I've heard of?" Dodge nodded and turned to face them, "Indeed they are. Finest men in the whole galaxy - you won't find a better unit anywhere." "We fail to disappoint," one of the clones, Charger, said. Charger had a natural tendency to be... hyperactive. He generally believed that any moment could be a dull one, so he took every opportunity to make things exciting. Much of the time that did involve speaking out of line. With a sigh, Dodge said, "This is Charger. He's the, uh, heavy weapons specialist." He then gestured to the clone trooper standing beside Charger, "This one is Droidpopper. He's my second-in-command, you won't find a more loyal soldier in the entire galaxy." Droidpopper, on the other hand, was far more formal when it came to addressing his superiors. He respectfully saluted to Viera, who simply returned with a nod, and he stated, "It's an honor to serve under you, General." "If you ever need something done, chances are Droidpopper will already be on top of it." Dodge continued down the line, introducing each individual member of Wraith Squad. "This here is Snapshot, our medical officer." He too saluted, Snapshot's personality generally less formal and simply just polite. "You won't be disappointed in our work, General, I can assure you that. Just like Charger said." Next was Swiper, who simply saluted to the general and said not another word. Following him was Evade, and then Flare, who Dodge introduced as their reconnaissance specialist. The last trooper was Falcon, his helmet design resembling a pair of wings, who saluted to the general and simply introduced himself. "It's good to meet you all," Viera finally said once Dodge had finished introducing them. "I look forward to working with you in the field." Dodge and Wraith Squad saluted to her in response. Once they had lowered their arms, Charger suddenly spoke up, "This hangar's getting a little cold, who's down for a game of sabacc?" The commander turned on him and said, "Don't get too comfortable, Charger. It won't be much longer before we'll have to go blast some clankers." Battle for Balmorra Aboard the ''Valiance'' Dodge entered the bridge of the Valiance ''to find Viera staring out into hyperspace, hands behind her back ''almost ''professionally. He approached and said to her, "We'll be dropping out of hyperspace soon, General." "Very good, commander," Viera replied, almost worryingly. Dodge could tell she had never been in a full-scale conflict before. Then again, neither had he really, but at least he had literally been preparing for it his whole life. He continued, "Ever been in a battle, General?" Dodge stepped up beside her and removed his helmet, revealing his clean shaven hair and the scar he gained at Geonosis. He looked out the window, just as she was. She shook her head and responded, "No. Not like this, anyway." Dodge turned to her, clearly expecting her to go on. And she did, "When I was younger and still training in the Temple, as Master Kian's apprentice, a couple friends and I were sent on a mission. And a simple one at that, that shouldn't have involved violence at all. Until pirates arrived and...and they..." She trailed off, her eyes staring into space - both literally and figuratively. "I'm sorry, General, I didn't mean to remind you of whatever happened," Dodge said respectfully, standing up straight. "No, it's... it's nothing, commander. Thank you, though," Viera turned to the commander and smiled. A small tear slid down her cheek, but she paid it no mind and said, "You know, I don't really think it'd be appropriate for me to call you 'commander' in ''every ''situation. It's times like these that I prefer to be informal with my friends." ''Friend is hardly a word I would use, ''Dodge thought to himself as he replied, "What do you mean, General?" "Well, do you go by a nickname? I understand some clones have adopted names," Viera asked him. "A title or number is not a name." Dodge shrugged, "Ah, I adopted the name Dodge after Geonosis, when I returned to Kamino for a while. The boys here in the 56th have, for the most part, familiarized themselves with mine and theirs." "Dodge, eh? I like it, you look like a Dodge," Viera said, before realizing that all clones looked the same. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean it that way, or anything..." He simply raised a hand and said, "No worries, General. The boys and I back on Kamino learned to adopt our own character. We're all individual men, in our books." She nodded, "I see. And Dodge, you don't have to keep calling me 'general' either. My name is Viera." "With all due respect, I was taught to address my superiors with the respect they are due, and using the proper title," Dodge argued. "It'd be against common protocol to--" "Then consider it an order, Commander Dodge," Viera interrupted him. "Listen, when we're not out on the field, you can drop the formalities. We'll be working together for who knows how long. This war could last months, years. Formalities get boring after a while." "Can't say I agree," Dodge sighed, "but so be it." At that moment, Droidpopper entered the bridge and approached the two officers. "We'll be dropping out of hyperspace soon," he reported. "The battalion is ready to deploy, commander." Viera knit her eyebrows and said, "Could you remind me why we're going to Balmorra? Something about an occupation?" "Yes, General," Dodge confirmed. "According to our reconnaissance reports, Separatist forces have occupied the planet. We believe a single frigate makes up their blockade, but I doubt it'll be much longer before reinforcements arrive, so we need to blast through their defenses quickly. I'm more worried about the surface though. The city of Bin Prime is currently occupied by Balmorran separatists, and Confederacy forces." "Balmorran separatists?" Viera asked. "Yes, General. Apparently a civil war erupted on the surface not too long ago. The separatists drove out the Republic-aligned Balmorrans, and now have control of the planet. Recon tells us the rebels have been trying to fight back, but I doubt they'll be able to do much without Republic aid." "That's why we're here," Droidpopper picked up where Dodge finished. "They don't know we're coming, so we'll be able to blast through their defenses and cripple their forces without many casualties." Viera crossed her arms, "We're taking back the city?" "Affirmative," Dodge confirmed. "Our starfighters will escort our gunships to the surface, where we will assault the city from the cover of the foothills using our walkers. From there, we'll march into the city and reclaim it for the Republic." "Will we have aid from the rebels?" "We would like to," Dodge sighed. "Unfortunately we can't risk the enemy jamming our signal. If they jam our transmission, then we lose the element of surprise. We'll just have to trust that the combat will attract them." A moment later, a naval officer announced that they were exiting hyperspace. After that, the blurred blue lines indicating they were traveling at light speed disappeared and Balmorra appeared before them. Much to Dodge's relief, their intel had been correct; a single Separatist frigate orbited the planet, and it seemed they had not yet noticed their presence. "They don't see us yet. Let's deploy our forces while we still have an open window," Dodge said. '''Into the Fray' Wraith Squad was already boarding their gunship once the trio arrived to the hangar. All around them, the 56th's infantry forces were boarding gunships and pilots were preparing their starfighters for take off, all part of Crow Squadron. Dodge knew they would not have much time to make their move, so he quickened his pace as he went. Within the next two minutes, their starfighter squadrons were flying out of the Valiance's bow hangar and into the vacuum of space. The gunships followed closely behind and began making for the surface; at about the same time the Separatists began deploying their own forces. As the gunships flew through space, flanked by squadrons of V-19 Torrent starfighters, swarms of vulture droids flew forth from the Separatist frigate. At first they did not shoot at the Republic's forces, but once they were within range unleashed an unending volley of blaster bolts towards the gunships. Most of Crow Squadron dispersed in an orderly fashion and intercepted the vulture droids as they flew by, meanwhile the rest continued to escort the gunships to the surface, as they were assigned. The gunships shook as they were piloted away from blaster fire and further towards Balmorra's surface. At one point Dodge nearly lost his grip on his overhead handle bar, prompting him to tighten his grip. "Hold on tight, boys," their pilot announced over the ship's radio as they reached Balmorra's atmosphere. "Ride only gets bumpier from here." Dodge adjusted his stance and said to Viera, "Into the fray, General." She smiled worriedly, "Indeed." The gunships shook violently as enemy flak threatened to shoot them down. Below them, towering mountains grew ever closer as the gunships continued their descent; in the distance vast rolling plains stretched across the horizon, just beyond the foothills. And at the base of those foothills was a large city from which smoke rose from smoke stacks, and a central tower rose above the rest of the city. Their pilot spoke over the radio again, "Anti-aircraft will be tough to get around, you're getting dropped off in the mountains. Be ready to light 'em up, boys, because they'll be standing by to light you up." The members of Wraith Squad clutched their weapons in hand, as well as extra weaponry that was strapped to their backs or holstered at their sides. Soon, the gunships had reached the valley they were to touch down in, and the pilot announced, "We're hovering, be ready to drop out immediately. Enemy fire is quite ''prominent out there." "Lovely," Charger laughed, letting go of his handle bar and holding his minigun with two hands. "Care to take the front line, General?" Flare stood aside from the door, allowing Viera room to step forward. "We won't last long out there without your sword." Viera, almost reluctantly, nodded in agreement and stepped forward. "Of course. Just stay behind me and you'll be fine." She took her lightsaber from her belt and waited. "Doors opening in three..." the pilot suddenly said. "Two..." Dodge held his DC-17 pistols up and raised his awareness, prepared for what was to come. This would be their first major engagement since Geonosis, and he could already feel adrenaline rushing through him as the pilot finally announced, "One!" The gunship's blast doors slid open and in an instant Wraith Squad leaped out of the gunship, several feet off the ground. The clones needed an extra moment to fix their stance after landing, but Dodge noticed that Viera landed without flaw and was already deflecting blaster bolts back at the enemy forces. He understood that Jedi were more agile through means he could only assume was this "Force" he had heard of, and also knew that her species - the Asheran - tended to be far more agile than the average human. But once he and his brethren had recovered, he immediately opened fire on the enemy, which he noticed were using rock clusters as cover, and were composed of not only battle droids, but also Balmorrans. ''The separatists, he thought as he continued to fire at them. Behind them, the rest of their forces joined Wraith Squad, taking away much of the attention they used to have. The battle felt far more even now that they had backup. "All units, push forward!" Dodge exclaimed, prompting Viera to begin taking steps forward while deflecting blaster bolts. Dodge observed how she fought, and noticed that the focus on her face was unwavering, and her movements seemed to be without flaw; they perfectly deflected every laser bolt that came at her. And she handled her weapon well - fighting alongside a Jedi Knight reminded Dodge much of Geonosis, and he was not sure whether that was a good thing. Within the next few minutes the Republic's forces quickly and easily overcame the enemy, forcing the rest to retreat. The 56th claimed that position, overlooking the city of Bin Prime, only a few miles to the west. They wasted no time in setting up a garrison and beginning to formulate a plan of attack on Bin Prime. "We're lucky to have an advantage like this," Dodge told Viera and Droidpopper as they looked down on the city. "They didn't see us coming, and as a result didn't have time to react. But if we're going to take the city with ease, we need to take action soon." Viera crossed her arms and said, "Every moment we spend here gives them more time to organize their defenses." "Exactly," Dodge nodded. He removed his helmet and turned to Droidpopper. "Droidpopper, are those walkers ready to move out?" "They will be soon, commander," Droidpopper nodded. "Good." Suddenly, Falcon and Flare approached the trio and reported, "Commander, a group of Balmorrans are approaching the camp on speeders. They don't seem to be wearing separatist colors, and haven't shown any sign of hostility." Viera's eyes went wide as she realized, "The rebels!" "Perhaps," Dodge raised an eyebrow. "We'll meet with their leader." About twenty speeders, all of which appeared to be rusted and worn, arrived at the garrison not a minute later. Dodge, Viera, and Droidpopper approached them as they came to a halt. Around them, clone troopers were standing vigilant, prepared to open fire if need be. Dodge nodded to Viera. "Are you the Balmorran rebels?" Viera asked. "We are," returned a woman who began approaching them. Her skin was darker - as it was with most Balmorrans due to the results of pollution since the Old Republic - and her blue eyes were stern and unforgiving. She wore a white trench coat above a gray and gold chestplate. Holstered at her sides were a pair of blaster pistols. "I am General Irella Wain, and this is the Balmorran Defense Front." Viera stood up straight and said, "I am Viera Cacete, Jedi Knight of the Jedi Order. This here is Commander Dodge, he leads the 56th Battalion." Wain crossed her arms and examined the two officers head to toe. She raised her eyebrow rather judgmentally, espectially toward Dodge, and when she finally spoke her voice was harsh, "You said his name is Dodge?" "That is my name, General Wain," Dodge confirmed, removing his helmet. Irella seemed taken aback, "You clones speak far more independently than I had initially expected." Dodge knit his eyebrows, almost taking this as an insult, but she continued. "No matter, I trust you and your men know what you're doing?" "Of course," Dodge nodded. "We're some of the finest in this galaxy, that I can assure you." Viera added on, "This is my first mission with them, and from what I've seen they're more than capable of reclaiming Bin Prime." As if their previous conversation had never occurred, Irella's eyes lit up and she said, "Ah, yes, of course. Bin Prime. How do you intend on attacking the city?" "We're not sure yet," Viera replied. "But with your coming, I'm sure we can formulate--" "You don't ''know yet?" Irella spat. "Outrageous." Dodge spoke up, "With respect, General, I do suggest we form our plan as soon as possible. The more time we spend here conversing, the more time they get to prepare their defenses. They weren't expecting our attack, which puts us in a vantage point." Wain stared him down for a moment, then hissed, "Of course." '''Siege of Bin Prime' The sun was beginning to sink beyond the vast Balmorran horizon by the time the group had formulated a plan of attack. They stood on a cliff overlooking the city, mere miles from their position. Irella explained to them that the city's defenses included a massive shield barrier that protected most of the inner city, including the central tower. Dodge pulled out a holoprojector and pressed a button, a moment later a blue projection of Bin Prime appeared before them, albeit much smaller than the one aboard the Valiance. "If what General Wain says is true, then getting in will be difficult. That's a given. But here's my question, General, can that bubble withstand an aerial strike?" "Likely," Irella responded. "An air strike would not break their defenses. I propose we march straight through the barrier and take the city through sheer force." "Unfortunately, sheer force doesn't always work," Dodge grunted, clearly annoyed with Irella's incompetence when it came to strategizing, a feat that he excelled at. "But here's my idea... if we send in bombers to bomb that shield, perhaps they could distract the enemy enough for us to push in." "Distract?" Viera asked. "Yes. If we can draw their attention away from their frontal defensive line, which I suspect to be on the city's edge, we can push in through the barrier and at least claim a section of the city. From there, we work our way inwards until we reach that central spire. Governor Kavos does ''work from there, right?" Irella raised an eyebrow, "Of course." She spoke as if the answer should be obvious. "That is our - or, rather, ''their, government's seat of power." "Then that is our objective. If we can claim the tower, we can cripple their remaining defenses." Irella was about to open her mouth, but Dodge added on, "And if they attempt to flee, we'll intercept them with Y-wing bombers." "Your plan is well thought out, it seems," Irella crossed her arms and looked down at the city itself. "You speak with confidence. You truly believe this plan will work?" "I give no promises," Dodge shook his head. "If we fail, we'll all pay for it, and the blood will be on my hands... that is a punishment I'm willing to take. For the Republic." Irella rolled her eyes as Viera smiled. "I admire the confidence, commander. When do we strike?" "Once night has fallen. We will mobilize our forces within the half hour, and push in under the cover of the night in sync with the air strike. I'll call it in before we depart, at about 23:00 hours." "That gives us only a little less than three hours to get in position before the air strike arrives," Irella said. "You speak true, General. And that's why we will deploy as soon as possible," Dodge responded. A moment of silence ensued, lasting for some time before Viera spoke up, "Then let's get ready to move out." With nods of agreement, they dispersed to prepare their forces. Over the next two hours, the 56th Battalion and Balmorran Defense Front's forces marched down from the mountains as the orange sky slowly turned to darkness. Dodge called in an air strike on Bin Prime as they departed, scheduled for 23:00 hours, giving them little more than two hours to get in position to launch their ground assault. There was little to no talk during the trek, the only sounds were those of their footsteps, and their AT-TEs silently walking along, taking up the back line. By the time they have arrived to the city's outskirts, just out of sight of the enemy, night had completely fallen over them. "Won't be much longer before Eagle's strike comes through," Dodge said to the other leaders. They were now on standby, waiting for Eagle's signal to launch their attack. "He will alert us when the bombers are arriving. Then, we'll push in and get through that shield before the enemy can recover. From there, we work our way in slowly." Irella placed two hands on her holstered blaster pistols and proudly stated, "My forces are ready. I trust your men are prepared to march as well?" "Always are, General," Dodge nodded. "Wraith Squad will make up the vanguard of our assault, the rest of our forces will push in behind us. The environment should provide us with enough cover to push in comfortably, for the most part." "And our walkers?" Viera asked. "We'll be the ones clearing the way for them," Dodge responded. "If we can get them through the shield barrier, then taking the city will be far easier." They waited for several long minutes for the air strike to arrive. It had felt like hours, and in spite of that adrenaline rushed through the troops as they braced themselves for what was to happen next. Finally, at 23:04 hours, Eagle came through Dodge's comlink, announcing that the bombers had left the Valiance ''and were on their way to the surface. Immediately, their forces - already in position for the assault - prepared themselves to move out. For the next few minutes there was only silence... Dodge began to wonder where Eagle was. Had they even gotten past that frigate? He had not heard of the progress in space since they arrived on Balmorra. Dodge began to doubt they had gotten far until he heard a roar in the sky, and overhead three yellow Y-wing bombers soared by and towards the city. "This is it," Dodge announced. "Let's move!" Their forces moved out from behind cover and began charging towards the shield barrier just as the Y-wings above dropped bombs on the city. A massive explosion covered much of the shield, successfully diverting the attention of the Separatists while the Republic's forces neared the barrier. So far, only few had noticed their presence, but were still trying to process what was happening and were unsure what to do. Soon, Wraith Squad had been the first to make it past the barrier and began opening fire on the enemy, clearing the way for the AT-TE walkers. '''Breakout' The former Governor of Balmorra, Rane Kavos, has escaped from prison on Coruscant. Wraith Squad is deployed to the Coruscanti underworld to apprehend the man; however Dodge and Viera discover Kavos intends to escape from Coruscant before they can even find his trail. '' '''Mission to Rishi' The 56th Battalion is deployed to the forest world Rishi to deal with a Separatist incursion. Defending Home The Separatists have launched an invasion of the clone homeworld Kamino. The 56th is among the many clone units sent to defend it. Showdown on Aranis Dodge has received word that Rane Kavos was sighted on the world Aranis. He and Viera travel to the deadly planet to capture the man, but are met by a formidable enemy instead. Darkness on Umbara The 56th Battalion is among the many clone units deployed to the dark world Umbara, set on clearing out Umbaran bunkers looking to counterattack the main Republic strike force. However, when their camp is attacked by an unknown culprit, Dodge takes it upon himself to investigate before further harm can be caused. Invasion of Ilum A Separatist invasion on the kyber crystal caves has left the Republic's defense force crippled. In response, the 56th Battalion has been deployed to defend the crystal caves before all hope is lost. Warrior of Mandalore After becoming the only survivor of a skirmish on the world Jaraa, Dodge finds himself walking a path of honor and family. Mission to Jaraa Journey to Mandalore Clan Cuyann Battle of Brentaal IV The 56th Battalion is assigned to the world Brentaal IV, where the 315th Regiment has been at combat with the Separatist forces to reclaim the world for the Republic. Expecting their arrival to turn the tide, Dodge finds that the enemy leader is far more formidable than they'd expected. Shadows of the Republic During an attack on a Republic outpost on Felucia, Dodge is labeled missing in action as he is lost in the Felucian jungles. After being rescued by a local farmer, Dodge begins to realize the dark truth behind the Republic. Missing in Action Infiltration of Spite Fortress Battle of Sullust A massive Republic strike force has been sent to the volcanic world Sullust to claim it for the Republic and grant them a foothold. The Corellian Alliance The Republic deploys the 56th Battalion to aid in freeing Corellia from the grasp of the Separatists. They ultimately join forces with the Corellian Alliance, a guerilla rebel force also seeking Corella's freedom. Secrets of Ashera Viera and Dodge take a leave of absence to travel to her homeworld, Ashera. There, they discover a Separatist occupation that Viera refuses to leave untouched. Mutinous The recent death of ARC trooper Fives leads Dodge to believe that he was on to something that could change the face of the galaxy. He and Wraith Squad travel to Kamino to investigate for themselves what Fives discovered. The Lirath Campaign For months, the Republic has worked towards invading the world Lirath in order to claim the surrounding space and turn the tide of war. The 56th is deployed to capture it for the Republic, however during the battle Wraith Squad's will is tested as Dodge receives an unexpected call from the Supreme Chancellor. Gaining a Foothold Siege of Lirath City The Final March Personality and traits A reliable soldier, Dodge possessed an exceedingly vast knowledge of military tactics and strategies that forged him into a tough leader to stand behind. Initially, he had a gritty and valiant personality, and prized brotherhood as much as any clone did. As the Clone Wars progressed, he maintained those traits, but his individuality grew, and as such they turned him into not only a courageous soldier, but also a dependable brother. That individuality presented questions and new, unforeseen realities that Dodge was forced to face after the execution of Order 66; he had felt as though his life and family, the Republic, had been ripped in half and tossed aside. However, Dodge also possessed a strong, unbreakable will, and as such always sought justice in the galaxy, for the greater good. Even after discovering his Force-sensitivity, Dodge's personality remained unwavering. Instead, his confidence and resolve was strengthened. Category:Member Category:Humans Category:Male Characters Category:Clone Commander Category:Clones Category:56th Battalion